Food trip: Kiping
Have you ever tried eating a decoration in your house? I have... Now before you judge me as a weirdo, let me first tell you about the decoration that I ate... Check out those colorful chandelier-like decorations... They taste good... This brightly-colored leaf-shaped decorative ornament is called a kiping . Nope, it is not made of plastic but of rice paste. It is considered an integral part of the San Isidro Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon. So how is a kiping made? He'll show us how... the ingredients... Making a kiping is a process called pagkikipi . One must first collect mature leaves of either the kabal, cocoa, or umbrella tree. These leaves will be used as molds for the kiping , hence its shape. Each leaf can be used three times (you'll find out why later.) Choose a leaf... cut the leaf to make it fit your steamer prepare the rice paste Put the food coloring in the paste... Now to make the rice paste... Soak the rice for two h